Where was The Comedians filmed
The Comedians
Year: 1967
Genre: Drama
<p>A 1967 American political drama film directed and produced by British director Peter Glenville. The movie is based on the 1966 novel of the same name by Graham Greene, who also acted as screenwriter. The picture tells about life in Haiti during the dictatorship of Francois Duvalier, known as Papa Doc. At the center of the story is a British hotel owner, watching with grim sarcasm as the country sinks deeper and deeper into chaos, cruelty and poverty. The lead roles were played by Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Peter Ustinov and Alec Guinness. Due to the unstable political situation in Haiti, it was impossible to shoot the movie on location. Instead, location scenes were filmed in Dahomey (now the Republic of Benin) as well as on the Côte d'Azur in France. In 1967, a short documentary, Comedians in Africa, was released, focusing on the difficulties the crew encountered while working. The film also featured African-American actors who would later become iconic figures of 1970s American cinema: Raymond St. Jacques, James Earl Jones, and Cicely Tyson. Both Jones and Tyson were subsequently nominated for Academy Awards for other roles.</p>
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Locations
Port-au-Prince
In movie
Scene where the ship arrives in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Among the passengers coming ashore are Major H. O. Jones (Alec Guinness), a British businessman with a letter of invitation to do business with the local government, Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Paul Ford and Lillian Gish), an elderly American couple seeking to open a vegetarian complex to educate and feed the locals, and the protagonist, a cynical and shabby hotel owner named Brown, played by Richard Burton.
Real
Scene was shot in Cotonou, the largest city and economic center of Benin, located on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea. Cotonou was founded in the early 19th century and became an important trading center due to its strategic location. The city was founded as a trading post and gradually became one of the most important ports in the region, which contributed to its growth and development. During colonial times, Cotonou was a key port in French West Africa where various goods were traded. Today, the Port of Cotonou continues to be Benin's largest and busiest port, providing an important role in the country's international trade.
Prison
In movie
Scene where upon arrival, Major Jones turns over his credentials to Captain Concasser, a law enforcement officer. Concasser informs him that the official who invited Jones has been removed from office and imprisoned. The captain and his men then brutally beat Jones and imprison him.
Real
Scene was shot at the Studios de la Victorine, located at 16 Avenue Edouard Grinda, Nice, France. This historic film studio was founded in 1919 by producers Louis Nalpas and Serge Sandberg to create the French equivalent of Hollywood on the Côte d'Azur.
Villa
In movie
Scene where Jones manages to gain the trust of the new regime, which is interested in arms shipments. The authorities pay him an advance, and he claims that the shipment is already in a warehouse in Miami. However, it remains unclear whether the weapons actually exist - perhaps it is just a hoax conceived by Jones himself. Until the government receives confirmation that the shipment is real, he is forbidden to leave the island.
Real
Scene was shot at the Franstudio, located in the commune of Saint-Maurice, Val-de-Marne, France. This studio was part of a large studio complex created in 1947 by Gaumont and Société Nouvelle Pathé Cinéma. The complex incorporated several studios and became an important center of film production in France in the mid-twentieth century. However, in 1971, the studio ceased operations after a fire and the Panoramis residential and office complex was built in its place.